Goal: End the practice of seismic airgun testing, whereby thousands of marine mammals are harmed or killed

In order to explore oil territory in the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is planning to use seismic airguns, a practice that would deafen or kill an estimated 138,500 marine creatures if carried out on a massive scale. While the practice is approved by the Obama Administration, President Barack Obama and other federal officials can still stop the use of seismic airguns, leading to an eventual ban. Lend your voice to the protest against destructive forms of oil exploration.

Between the coasts of Delaware and Florida, seismic airguns will shoot deafening blasts of compressed air miles into the seabed in order to discover buried oil and gas deposits. The air blasts affect sea mammals in a variety of harmful ways. Impacts include the destruction of habitat, disruption of mating, immediate death, and permanent hearing loss. The latter issue is prevalent, and because whales and dolphins rely on hearing to find food, communicate, and even reproduce, this outcome is debilitating.

Airgun blasts occur every ten seconds throughout the day for weeks at a time, leaving marine life with no peace whatsoever.

While many organizations are already fighting against seismic airgun tests, it is important that our President understand that this country is opposed to directly harming wildlife for the purposes of harvesting dirty oil. As a nation, we are quickly discovering new forms of energy and should be reserving federal funds for environmentally friendly practices. Sign this petition and urge our President and elected officials to put a stop to this destructive form of oil exploration permanently.

PETITION LETTER:

Dear President Barack Obama,

While your administration has unfortunately approved seismic airguns as a reasonable method for oil exploration, I urge you to reconsider your consent of this practice and work to effectually ban all forms of it. Seismic air gun blasts harm sea turtles, fish, whales, and dolphins by deafening them as well as disrupting their natural habitats. This prevents them from feeding and reproducing, which has long-term effects on the ecosystem. Airgun blasts occur every ten seconds throughout the day for weeks at a time, and leave these creatures with no peace whatsoever.

Because mammals like whales and dolphins require hearing for basic survival needs such as finding food and reproducing, causing deafness on a massive scale by means of harsh underwater blasts is a crime. These animals deserve to live without constant disruption and the life-threatening chaos of seismic airgun tests. As it is, our nation is already discovering new and beneficial forms of energy, and federal funding should be applied to these instead of destructive procedures that harm animals as well as the environment. The majority of your country supports humane procedures, and so I urge you to ban seismic airguns permanently.

Sincerely,

[Your Name Here]

PhotoCredit: Oceana

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3 Comments

My GOD! why do we continue to rape the oceans,the land,and maybe soon other worlds. We are “not involved in global warming” we are not “harming” species and we need that oil so we need to find other sources…how can you people sleep at night knowing what you are doing to those creatures that have a GIVEN right to exist and live in harmony with NATURE!! People get all worked up about shark attacks well the sharks just love humanity to cut off their fins and discard them with no “Balm of Gilead” or a non-painful death. No humane interaction. just doing what “WE” do best…we kill..everything